chalaza

[ kuh-ley-zuh ]

/ kəˈleɪ zə /

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noun, plural cha·la·zas, cha·la·zae

[kuh-ley-zee]. /kəˈleɪ zi/.

Zoology. one of the two albuminous twisted cords which fasten an egg yolk to the shell membrane.

Botany. the point of an ovule or seed where the integuments are united to the nucellus.

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Origin of chalaza

1695–1705; <New Latin <Greek: hail, lump

OTHER WORDS FROM chalaza

cha·la·zal, cha·la·zi·an

[kuh-ley-zee-uhn], /kəˈleɪ zi ən/, adjective

Words nearby chalaza

chaitya, Chaka, chakalaka, chakra, Chal., chalaza, chalazion, chalcanthite, Chalcedon, chalcedony, chalcid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chalaza in a sentence

He considers the centre of the hilum as the base, and the chalaza, where it exists, as the natural apex of the seed.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Seeds larger than Aestivalis, pear-shaped; chalaza roundish.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick
Seeds large, usually slightly notched; chalaza rather narrow; raphe a groove.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick
Seeds small to very small, slightly notched on top; chalaza depressed, oblong-oval; raphe broad, slightly distinct.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick

Seeds two to three of medium size; chalaza oval in shape, slightly distinct; raphe flat, usually inconspicuous, rarely prominent.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick

British Dictionary definitions for chalaza

chalaza

/ (kəˈleɪzə) /

noun plural -zas or -zae (-ziː)

one of a pair of spiral threads of albumen holding the yolk of a bird's egg in position

the basal part of a plant ovule, where the integuments and nucellus are joined

Derived forms of chalaza

chalazal, adjective

Word Origin for chalaza

C18: New Latin, from Greek: hailstone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for chalaza

chalaza

[ kə-lā′zə ]

Plural chalazae (kə-lā′zē) chalazas

One of two spiral bands of tissue in an egg that connect the yolk to the lining membrane at either end of the shell.

The region of a plant ovule that is opposite the micropyle, where the integuments and nucellus are joined.